Days Until Heartbreak/Seeing Red
don't you worry that's what he said but all i can see is red part thirty three of Days Until Heartbreak Aura is furious when we finally walk into the camp the next morning, whispering in soft voices, lazy smiles plastered across our faces. She literally yanked me off Ice and dragged me off to our den, telling Ice to stay outside before placing me in my nest and yelling at me. "How could you disappear like that for the entire day? The group needed you. I'' needed you! What if I was murdered? How would you have known?" "Aura," I say patiently, "it was one day." The gray she-cat glares at me. "We're at war here," she reminds me, "you can't slack off because you have your tom back." I roll my eyes. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I was just going to spend the evening with Ice but then he dragged me off to see an old friend of his and then we just ended up spending the night at his place. We're back now." I press my pelt lamely against hers, aware of the scar that ran across her left flank. Aura's blue eyes soften. "I know. I just worry about you, that's all. Every time I let you out of my sight, something goes wrong." "I'm fine," I offer her a smile, "come on, Ice is going to be worried, standing out there." Aura snorts but lays down in her nest to rest. I pad back outside to see Ice's bewildered blue eyes. "What was that about?" "Just the normal stuff," I laugh, "perhaps today isn't the ''best day to hang out--" "Nonsense," Ice curls his tail around me, "I'm your bodyguard after all. I have to stick by your side at all times to ensure that nobody attacks you." "Nobody's going to attack me," I push Ice off, "I need to organize a few training sessions anyways. If we continue to fool around until Aura's completely healed, the whole group will fall apart." "Let them," Ice urges, tugging me along with him. I duck out of his hold and shake my head ruefully. "Stop fooling around," I mutter, "we really need to get some work done." "We as in the two of us, or we as in the entire group?" I smack him with one paw. "You know what I mean!" He laughs and I hurry to gather a training patrol before sending a few hunting patrols out too. The toms are probably lounging all over their territory but Ice is adamant about sticking to my side so I ask Moon and Pearl to go fetch five toms to train with us today. I head for the training section, just on the tom border so that the toms don't have to cross far into our territory. Pearl and Moon have already gathered the five toms, and I begin to shout orders. "Ah, what a cute little group," someone sneers, "And two of my favorite cats here too." I spin around and find myself staring at the poisonous green eyes of Shineblossom. Her gaze is fixed on Ice, who is frozen to the spot. I push the white tom back. "Don't get involved with this," I warn, "go somewhere if you need to. Stay away from all this." "No," Ice shakes his head, his blue eyes glowing with something I can't pinpoint, "this is my fight too, Sari. I'm staying." I bite my lip and Shineblossom laughs darkly. "Don't try to worm your way out of this Ice. Listen to Sari for once. It seems she knows what she's doing." I crouch. "Yeah, I do." I lunge for her and she easily dodges, her laugh echoing madly in my head. Around me, Clan cats pour out of their hiding places and attack my own troops. "Formation A!" I shriek, hoping they would remember. Ice's white fur gets lost in the crowd and I'm left facing Shineblossom. I recall the many times I had faced her, twice my claws trying to sink into her neck. Twice when Ice had saved her life and insisted that I was better than this. Well, he's wrong. I dive for her neck, aiming my claws to hit home but she dances away, her green eyes watching me cruelly. "Angry?" She bares her teeth, "Angry that Ice chose me over you?" I taunt. "Well, don't worry too much about it. I'll relieve you of the pain." Shineblossom continues to dodge my blows. "As if," she snorts, "Ice is only playing with you. Perhaps he is reluctant to let you go, but..." She leans forward, her claws scraping my pelt, "I'll help him break your heart." I snarl and push her off me, digging my claws deep into her stomach. Shineblossom's eyes flare with anger but as she lunges for me, Ice intercepts, cutting her blow off. He shoulders the pale she-cat off of me and helps me stand. "Thanks," I grunt. Shineblossom lets out a cry of outrage but Ice is ready. He throws the pale she-cat off again and again, blocking her blows with his paws. "You'll regret this!" She snarls at Ice, "I'll make you pay." "How?" Ice's blue eyes are cold, "There is nothing you can do that will make me want you back." He says, almost calmly, "I think I know where my true loyalties lie." "You'll eat those words," Shineblossom rages, "I'll make you eat those words." She turns her eyes to me. Her eyes say it all. At first, I think she's just going to spin away and recall all her warriors, but Shineblossom just leaps at me. It comes unexpected. I barely manage to duck and Ice shields me as Shineblossom tries to claw at me. "Stop it Ice," I grunt, "let me fight my own battle now." Ice lingers a little longer and I let him. Let him watch me while I slaughter Shineblossom under my very own claws. No way am I going to let her win now. Shineblossom picks herself up, her pelt a mess, scratches lining her pretty pelt. "You little monster," she sneers, "do you need your bodyguard to do all your work? I always knew you were weak. Kayli was right." I recoil in surprise. "That's right," Shineblossom crows, "Kayli told me all about you. After you betrayed ''me, she confessed. She told me in secret that you were the leader of the anti-tom group and she had been apart of it until she fell in love. Until you ripped her apart with your cruelty." I don't have words to counter what she's saying. The pale she-cat lunges for me, and her claws scrape against my pelt, turning the ground red. "And guess what?" She shrieks, "''You fell in love! I promise you, I will have my revenge, and when I'm done with you, I'll let Kayli have hers too." I look around blindly for Ice, but the white tom is nowhere to be seen. "He's not here for you," Shineblossom purrs in my ear, "because someone is taking care of him." I struggle against her, trying to push her away, trying to free myself. But the wound must be deeper than I expected because I can barely stand. When I crumple, someone catches me and for a moment, I'm relieved. "Ice?" I breath out, trying to find his ice blue eyes. Instead I see Shineblossom's poisonous green eyes instead. "Sweet dreams," she laughed, "because when you wake up, it'll be a nightmare."